A Test of Wills
by Greenliongirl88
Summary: Alternate season finale and prequel to my story Evil Returns. Wade plans to use Daniel against the Voltron force, but who is stronger? And even if he defeats Wade, can he defeat Lotor even with Keith's help?
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: takes place in place of the season 1 finale. This is the prequel to evil returns, but you don't have to read that first. (Although it is complete; Heather and Will will make an appearance about halfway through the story. You might find out why Vince has issues with Heather)

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron; just the characters and locations I create.

* * *

Wade and Kala stood in the middle of an asteroid belt, at a crossroad. Kala wanted to go to Doom and get revenge on Maahox, but Wade's eyes were fixed on Arus and a hidden weapon. The Lider didn't know which way to go.

"Maahox must pay! And Lotor for allowing him to do this!" growled Kala.

"He will, but I think we should take care of the Voltron Force first." Said Wade. "If I know Keith, he would gladly take advantage of their two greatest enemies fighting each other."

"so, you have a plan for defeating them?" asked Kala. She knew his plans had failed in the past with the most he had been able to accomplish was disband them and that barely lasted five years. "Remember one of them has the power to neutralize haggarium."

"And yet he hasn't bothered to used his so called powers to cure his friend." Answered Wade. Kala smiled as she realized where this was going. Wade laughed."The little defiant cadet will turn into our secret weapon and get rid of his mettlesome friends and handover Voltron to us."

"Well, I hate long voyages and that speed boost will make quick work of the trip to Doom. So, to Arus?" said Kala. Wade formed an evil smile as the Lider started toward Arus.


	2. Chapter 2

Keith and Daniel stood facing each other. They drew their practice swords and began their duel. Keith was on the attack and Daniel dodged his blade. Daniel took a step back with each would-be hit until Keith had him against the wall. Keith went for a hit, but Daniel blocked it with his own sword and pushed Keith back. Daniel went on the attack and circled Keith. Finally, Daniel lunged for a strike and Keith tried a counter-strike.

Allura and Larmina were walking past the training room when they heard two people scream in agony. They rushed into the room to find Daniel holding his side and Keith holding his shoulder.

"Are you two alright?" asked Allura.

"Yeah, they're just practice swords." Answered Daniel, ending with a nervous laugh.

"So you tried to kill each other? Or is that injury still bothering you?" asked Larmina. She and her aunt were obviously annoyed.

"NO!" yelled Keith. The other three looked at him.

"I was talking about Daniel's injury from his duel with Lotor." Clarified Larmina. She walked up to Daniel and gently poked where Lotor's sword had hit him. Daniel winced. "If it's still giving you trouble tomorrow, I'm dragging you to the doctor."

She started walking out and Daniel followed. He said, "Hey! It just a scratch!"

After the teenagers left, Allura turned to Keith. "Hmm . . . carrying on even when injured; I wonder where he learned that from?"

"He said he was okay. I'll talk to him about it." Answered Keith.

"That's good to hear, but if there's one thing I've learned about Daniel it is that he learns best by example." Replied Allura. She looked at Keith's shoulder. "You need to have that looked at and get it treated."

"How long have you known?" asked Keith. He should've seen this coming.

"I've suspected in it since Sven stole Blue; if the situation hadn't been so dire, to quote Larmina, I would've 'dragged you to the hospital'." Answered Allura.

Keith sighed. "I guess being cut with a laser sword a few times and knocked out of joint really takes a toll. But right now . . . we've got Lotor to deal with and that robeast that picked up Wade. I know you and Pidge stepped down, and Daniel's a more than capable pilot; I just don't want to hand him a mess when I step down."

"I can't blame you for that, but promise me you'll take it easy and see a doctor." Said Allura.

"I'll try." Answered Keith. His Voltcom lite up. "What's up?"

"We've detected a distrupance on the other side of Arus." Said Pidge.

"I'll check it out in Black." Answered Keith. "Keep the team on alert until you hear from me."

"I'll have Daniel waiting for you; I've got a feeling his speed could come in handy." Replied Pidge.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long to post- I can write fast, but my typing speed needs some work and Dragon software is out of my price range (and low on my priorities) right now. Promise you won't have to wait long for chapter 4. So, happy reading!

* * *

Keith and Daniel were on their way to the coordinates. It had been a quiet flight so far. Of course he couldn't hear the conversation between Vince and Daniel.

(Man, I look good in this uniform!) thought Vince.

(Dude, don't rub it in! I'll get my turn soon . . . I hope.) thought Daniel.

(Like Keith is ready to retire! Or Lance or Hunk for that matter!) answered Vince. (Good luck waiting!)

(Well Allura and Pidge aren't exactly old enough to retire. Anyway, I'm on a mission with Keith. Unless you have something important to say, shut up.) thought Daniel and broke the mind link.

It bothered Keith because Daniel was rarely this quiet; Larmina must have given him some lecture. He looked over at Daniel and said, "You know the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back and continue our sword fighting lesson."

"You won't tell Larmina?" asked Daniel. Yep, she gave him a lecture. Keith nodded. Daniel smiled and replied, "One speed boost coming up!"

He activated his Voltcom and they jetted to the location.

When they got to the coordinates, Black landed in a hidden cavern. Keith got up and turned to Daniel, who was starting to get up.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Daniel.

"I need you to stay here in Black Lion while I try to find out what is causing some strange readings." Answered Keith. He activated his Voltcom armor. "If I need your help, I'll let you know. In the meantime, take it easy."

"What do you mean? Like I told Larmina, it's just a –" started Daniel.

"I've been 'scratched' by Lotor's laser swords before; I know what kind of pain you're in." interrupted Keith. Daniel looked dishearten and Keith placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "And I also know what it's like to want to push thru the pain to help your friends. I've been there and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt or worse. I know if any of our enemies were out there, they wouldn't think twice about using you and your injury against us. I couldn't live with myself if you were hurt because I recklessly put you in harm's way."

"I understand. Just be careful. There's something about this place that just sends chills down my spine." Said Daniel. Keith nodded and exited the cockpit.

Wade watched as Keith left Black and said to Kala, "It appears Commander Keith has brought with him the key to our victory and his undoing."


	4. Chapter 4

The castle began to shake. Larmina, Vince, Lance and Allura met Hunk and Pidge in the control room just on time for another tremor.

"What's going on?" asked Lance.

"It appears the Spion is back." Answered Pidge, picking himself up off the floor.

"You mean the Lider." Corrected Hunk as another blast shook the castle.

"I don't care what you call it, just get rid of it while the castle is still standing!" yelled Allura.

"You heard the lady! Let's get to the Lions!" ordered Lance. The pilots ran to their elevators.

"I'll get a hold of Keith and Daniel; we need all the help we can get to even stand a chance against the Spion." Said Pidge.

"Lider!" corrected Hunk, again.

"Guys! We'll figure out what to call it later!" scowled Larmina. "Fight it NOW!"

The robeast grabbed Yellow and threw it into Green. Both Lions slid into a swamp.

"Eww! I'm not looking forward to washing the Lions after this!" said Vince.

"Yuck! Me either, bro." agreed Hunk.

"It's just toying with us." Realized Lance as he dodged a blast.

"What do you mean?" asked Larmina. She sent an ice blast at the monster.

"It wants Voltron." Answered Lance.

Inside Black Lion's cockpit, Daniel screamed as a massive haggarium headache hit him. He held his head between his legs and groaned. His breathing labored and his Voltcom glowed. He managed to press the button and say, "What's going on?"

"That robeast that got Wade is attacking the castle." Said Pidge. "We need you and Keith back here to help."

"Keith's still looking for those weird readings." Said Daniel. He struggled to stand up.

"I'm not sure we can wait for him to get back." Said Pidge. "I'll try to contact him. If I can't, we need you to bring Black to . . ."

A burst of pain shot thru Daniel's body and he screamed before collapsing on the floor.

"Daniel! What's wrong? DANIEL!" called Allura. "Something's wrong with him!"

Keith noticed his Voltcom glowing. He stopped and as soon as he pressed the button he heard "KEITH! Something's happened to Daniel!"

"Slowdown! What happened?" asked Keith. Daniel wouldn't have taken another joyride, would he?

"Wade's whatever robeast attacked us! We called Daniel, but I think something attacked him!" Answered Allura. She was panicked and out of breath. Keith's eyes widened and he started back to his Lion. "Daniel screamed and then nothing! We can't reach him!"

"I'll find out what's wrong and we'll both be there to help with the spider-thing." Promised Keith.

In Black's cockpit, Daniel's body slowly got up. His eyes glowed a neon purple and his face was emotionless as if he was in a zombie like trance. He walked out of the Lion.


	5. Chapter 5

Keith was about half-way to Black Lion when a mysterious blast knocked some rocks above him loose. He managed to avoid them and spotted Wade on a ledge. Wade's eyes were bright purple and his hand was pointed toward where the rocks had fallen.

"What are you doing here?" yelled Keith. His thoughts rushed to what Allura had said about Daniel; could Wade have . . . "What have you done to Daniel?"  
"Why is that any way to speak to at Sky Marshall?" said Wade. He threw another haggarium blast at Keith, but Keith dodged it just in time.

"_Ex_-Sky Marshall. Now answer my question!" ordered Keith. He summoned one of his swords and went after Wade, who pulled out an haggarium sword.

"A simple pit stop on my way to . . . _help_ a friend." Said Wade as the swords collided.

"Keith! Where are you?" yelled Lance over the Volcom.

"Sounds like your friends are in trouble. Maybe you should send your little cadet sidekick to help them." Said Wade sarcastically. "Oh, wait. You abandoned him to whatever villain was able to . . ."

"What have you done to him?" yelled Keith. He knocked the sword from Wade's hand and pushed Wade to the ground. Wade was unphased. "Where is Daniel?"

"Aww Daniel: the disobedient cadet." Said Wade. He looked up and smiled."I wouldn't worry about him. You see cadets like him need discipline and guidance and let's just say he's go all the guidance he will ever need. I would be more worried about you." Wade paused and something flew past Keith's head. The commander looked down and saw three of Daniel's claws embedded in the stone floor. "Hmm . . . I guess we'll have to work on his aim."

Keith looked behind him and there on another ledge was Daniel. The boy's arm was shaking as it pointed toward them. His eyes were bright purple like Wade's and the expression on his face was one of pain. Wade took advantage of the distraction and knocked the sword from Keith's hand. Wade stood up and dusted himself off. Keith watched Daniel vanish and turned to Wade.

"Amazing how a little haggarium can turn even the most rebellious subject into a puppet." Said Wade. Then there was about ten feet between the two men and Daniel, ready to take another shot. Wade took a few steps away from Keith. He then said "Cadet, shoot him."

"No. Daniel, you don't have to do it!" said Keith, calmly (or at least as calmly as someone with a grappling hook pointed toward them could). "You are stronger than him."

"What has he ever done for you?" said Wade. The glow in his eyes brightened. Daniel groaned. "He is holding you back. He knows what you could be and he fears being replaced. Get rid of him and prove to the Universe who is stronger."

"You know that's not true!" replied Keith. He could tell Daniel was struggling. The cadet's arm was wavering back and forth between Keith and Wade. "Daniel, don't let him control you."

"He can't hear you. The haggarium connection is too strong." Said Wade. He turned to Daniel. "Kill him."

Almost on cue, Larmina's voice started screaming out of Daniel's Voltcom. "Daniel, please if you can hear me we need Black Lion! We need Voltron! We lost contact with the castle and Keith's not answering! Please hurry! We need you!"

Daniel's expression changed to one of focus, if strained. Finally, he took aim and his claw missiles blasted toward his target.

* * *

Sorry this took a while (technical issues). I've been working on my cliff hangers.


	6. Chapter 6

Keith braced himself as Daniel's claws shot toward him. He heard them fly and embed themselves deep in something, but it didn't sound like rock. Keith looked toward Wade; his enemy was laying dead in a pool of blood with the claws sticking out from Wade's heart.

"I told you that you were stronger than him, didn't I . . ." Started Keith as he turned toward Daniel. The boy was laying on the ground unconscious. "DANIEL!"

Keith rushed to Daniel's side and checked for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief and carefully picked Daniel up.

"Don't worry. We'll get you fixed up, but first we have to help the others." Promised Keith. His Voltcom lit-up. "What's up?"

"Keith! Where have you been, man! We've been trying to contact you and Daniel for hours!" yelled Lance.

"Where is Daniel? Is he okay?" asked Larmina. She was almost panicking.

"He'll be fine. What's your status?" said Keith. Well, it wasn't a complete lie—between Gorma, Pidge and Vince there had to be a cure for whatever caused Wade to control Daniel, if he still needed it. Keith knew they needed to focus on more pressing matters.

"You know the Lider that was attacking us? It just went crazy screaming in pain and attacking everything! EVEN ITS SELF!" Said Hunk.

Keith looked at Wade again and remembered how confident he had been about his control over Daniel. Had Wade been controlling the spider monster? Keith decided that he could discuss theories with the rest of the team about it later. Odds were the robeast was or had been linked to Wade and his death was causing confusion. Regardless if it was true, the monster was going crazy and now was the time to take advantage of that.

"Stay strong, guys. We'll be there soon." Ordered Keith. He dashed to Black and carefully buckled Daniel into the copilot's seat. They took off back toward the castle.

* * *

Kala was screaming and randomly attacking everything around her. The Lions kept trying to avoid her, but she still managed to nip them. Soon Black Lion was in view.

"What took you so long?" asked Lance.

"Wade did something to Daniel and he hasn't woken up." Explained Keith.

"Is he okay?" asked Larmina. She barely dodged an energy blast.

"He'll be a lot better once this spider is squashed." Answered Keith.

"Lider!" said Hunk.

"HUNK!" yelled everyone else.

"Well, I just think we should have a proper name for it." Explained Hunk.

"Let's just call it a kala after that Drule general that used to be dead set on catching Keith. She does remind me of her." Said Lance. "After we defeat the kala, we can go after Wade."

"Wade's not a threat, Lance—at least, not any more. Daniel saw to that." Said Keith. "Now, let's form Voltron!"

They began to from Voltron, but as Keith was reaching the lever to form the head a bolt of pain shot thru his shoulder, still managed to pull it before the transformation failed. He called on the Blue center and Larmina froze the spider. Keith formed the Blazing sword to finish the job.

* * *

The team was relieved to find Allura, Pidge and Coran were fine; it turned out that the castle's main generator had taken a hit with the Garys and the attack had caused further damage. Daniel was placed in his room while Dr. Gorma examined him. After a few scans and a blood test, the doctor turned his attention to Keith. Lance stayed with Daniel while Allura and Larmina went to the old medical ward with Keith for moral support. Pidge, Hunk and Vince left to start repairs. Coran stayed in the control room to monitor the skies. The lights flickered constantly and doors randomly slammed shut and opened.

"Is Daniel going to be okay?" asked Keith as Doctor Gorma was looking over his x-rays.

"You are aware we have treatment for haggarium poisoning, but not a cure. We'll have to wait for the complete blood test results to see how severe it is." Answered the doctor. Keith and Allura exchanged worried glances. Larmina bit her lower lip."I have faith that he will be able to live with it, and that we'll have a cure in the near future."

"Then he has a chance to live a normal life?" asked Larmina, hopefully.

"I'm afraid he will be sensitive to haggarium at least until he is cured. Anyway, doesn't that boy run at super speed? I think what most people consider normal left him quite some time ago." Answered Dr. Gorma. "I have been working on a patch to lessen the effects so he should still be able to continue fighting beside you, and by the way Keith's shoulder looks, you need him."

"What do you mean?" asked Keith.

"There's a lot of internal scar tissue and the joint has weaken to the point that surgery is needed to prevent further damage. There will be . . . "started the doctor. The lights went out, again, and the doors locked. It took Allura and Larmina half an hour to force the doors open, just as the lights turned on.

"We need to replace that generator." Said Allura. Shortly afterward Lance was running toward them. "Lance, what's wrong?"

"I left to use the bathroom and got locked in." answered Lance.

"We need to check on Daniel." Said Keith. They rushed to Daniel's room; the door was wide open with the lights dim. Daniel was nowhere to be found. Only a note rolled up and carefully placed in his Voltcom laying in the middle of his bed.

* * *

Author's comments: Hey guys, sorry the update took so long! Things have been kinda crazy in my corner of the Universe. This is the half way point, so what do you think? Where is Daniel? What does the note say? Did anyone actually think I would kill Keith off? Was Wade's death too graphic? Should someone have made a door joke to Lance? (yeah, I worry about this kind of stuff)

Thanks to everyone who hasn't given up on this story (and writer) yet


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel lay on a pile of snow in an ice cave while Maahox and Lotor stood watch. It was clear that Daniel was in trouble; he was struggling to breathe and had lost almost all his color.

"Shouldn't be much longer now, my king." Said Maahox. His bionic eye scanned the boy. "Wade was a fool to think he could control him."

"And you're certain he'll be our puppet once he dies?" asked Lotor. He sounded skeptical, but he knew regardless of whether Maahox's plan was successful or (as they had been in the past) not this would be a moral blow to the Voltron Force.

"He should; Wade did have some control, but the boy's will got in the way. Once that problem is no more, he's your little haggarium puppet." Answered Maahox. Daniel groaned. "The perfect bait to lead the Voltron Force to you."

"Or just let him be the trap. Take a lion from Ariel and fuse it with the boy with haggarium, let the Voltron Force find him in his human form and take him back to their castle to be nursed back to health, but just as their guard is lowered their poor injured teammate morphs into a man-lion robeast to rip the castle of lions apart from the inside out!" replied Lotor with an evil smile as Daniel stopped breathing.

"NO!" screamed Keith as he bolted up in bed. He was gasping for air as he got his bearings; he was in his room, which considering the climate control was broken might as well have been an ice cave. Keith went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. It had been nearly a week since Daniel had disappeared and sleep hadn't come easy for Keith. The two new cadets hadn't helped much.

Will, Hunk's nephew, shared his family's legacy of size. He was a wrestler and a football star before coming to Arus and his fighting style reflected that. Heather, on the other hand was an ex-ballerina who happened to be Commander Barton's youngest daughter. She got magical powers from her mom's side of the family, some remote planet that danced between being allies and enemies to the Alliance. Heather's powers seemed to be a wedge between her and Vince (partly because he was trying to teach her to use powers she already knew how to use and another from when she nearly cut Vince in half testing her Voltcom battle fans the first time).

Keith went back to his room, but instead of flopping down on his bed turned to his desk. He picked up the list of what Daniel had taken with him: _A tent, a_ _sleeping bag, some blankets, some clothing (including a parka, snow boots and . . . swim trunks?)_, _some cooking supplies, rope, a first aid kit, and a bunch of other camping supplies._ There was also the hover bike Daniel had been work on with Hunk. Keith turned to Daniel's letter, but by now he had it memorized:

"_Dear Voltron Force,_

_ I'm sorry for everything, especially what happened to Keith. Until I can be cured, I think it would be for the best if I stay away from everyone. I can't trust myself until then and since you guys don't want to lock me up, it will keep you safe. You're the best friends anyone could ever ask for._

_Your Friend Always,_

_Daniel_

_PS Don't worry about me—I'll find somewhere to chill and come back for the cure if you still want me to."_

Keith sighed. Daniel was their friend and team mate; even if he was sick, they wanted him here with them. It was just like Sven all over again . . .

Sven! Keith remembered the mission on Krydor. Sven had told them that the cold helped control haggarium. Daniel was with them there. _"I'll find somewhere to chill . . ._" The snow boots and parka! Where ever Daniel was heading, it was cold (hopefully the swim trunks meant it had a hot spring).

All ships leaving Arus had been thoroughly searched and the hover bike Daniel had taken wasn't capable of space travel. There was no way he had left the planet, which meant . . .

A space mouse on Keith's desk squeaked. Keith looked at it and said, "Yeah, I should've seen this days ago."

* * *

Keith quickly got dressed and started to the control room. It was three in the morning, but quickly his movement caught the attention of the others. Allura was the first to approach him.

"Keith, where are you going?" she asked.

"I think I know where Daniel is." He answered.

"And you're going alone? In the middle of the night?" She said.

"I have to. If anyone can find him, it's me." Replied Keith. "Besides, Daniel thinks he hurt me. That's why he left and I think he won't come back until he knows I'm fine."

"Well, at least give us some time to get supplies for you." Answered Allura. "He's probably starving and freezing with all the rain we've had lately."

"I need to leave as soon as possible." Said Keith. Lance, Larmina, and Will appeared and each handed something to Keith.

"That's Daniel's favorite microwave pizza. One sniff of that and he'll be all over you." Said Larmina.

"The kid forgot to pack a spare uniform." Laughed Lance. "At the very least, he might appreciate some dry clothes."

"Well, . . . hope you don't need it but a first aid kit is always good to keep around." Said Will.

"How did you . . . ?" started Keith, but as a space mouse ran up each of their arms he knew the answer.

Allura handed Keith some blankets and said "Be careful and back by noon or we will have to search for you too."

Heather sheepishly walked up to them and handed a strange necklace to Keith. "I can't do much, but an aura compass should help. Think of who or what you want to find and just follow the arrow."

"Couldn't you have given this to us days ago? I mean you've known we were looking for Daniel basically since you got here." Said Lance.

"Vince took my back pack after the incident on day one. I just now got it back. Which reminds me, if Vince has any weird appendages or something I didn't do anything to him—he poked around my bag." She said.

Keith took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "Lance, take care of that. I need to grab Daniel's Voltcom and go."

* * *

Author's comments: Sorry this took so long. These last few months have been kind of bad in my corner of the universe. I lost two people who were very close to me and haven't felt much like writing since.


	8. Chapter 8

Heather's compass confirmed what Keith already knew. The arrow lead him directly to Mount Sage—the coldest place on Arus and one of the few locations the castle's scanners couldn't get readings. It was also the only place on Arus Zarcon's forces hadn't attacked out of fear; in truth, few Arusians had ever dared to explore it with rumors of monsters and curses. The legends of Mount Sage ranged from an ancient seal holding the ultimate villain (or villainess) to the tomb of the man who had inspired the giant heroic robot. None of the Force had travelled to it before, but the archives spoke of ice caves and hot springs.

Black landed near a massive cave. Keith activated his armor and headed inside to find part of Lotor's army waiting. He kept out of sight and entered one of the corridors. It was empty and the icy walls had an eerie feel as if it was an ancient temple encased in a thick glass. The rumors seemed to make sense, but Keith wasn't there to enjoy the scenery. He followed the hallway (was this really an ancient temple?)—cavern until the path split into five.

Keith looked at the compass, but the arrow had turned into a large dot. He wished Heather had explained the aura compass more thoroughly. He looked at all five arched doorways, but none gave any hint to being traveled recently or often. As Keith started to turn back, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He hide within one of the tunnels as two voices grew. It was Lotor and Maahox.

"These footprints are recent." said Lotor.

"Still, shouldn't we have sent a squad a head, sire." Replied Maahox, nervously. "After all, those prints are big for the boy."

"No one in the Universe has dared to search or go near this stupid mountain in centuries except that. Even my own father and the old witch refused to attack it out of fear." Said Lotor. It was clear in his voice that his patience was wearing thin. "The boy is far braver than them or his mentors. If only he were on our side, . . . but then I wouldn't get the pleasure of watching Keith struggle between destroying his student and his student rip him to pieces."

"True, that will be a sight to see. What I am wondering, sire, is if the Voltron Force has begun searching for him here?" said Maahox.

"I can handle them, especially with your new weapon to neutralize the anti-haggarium one's powers." Lotor laughed. "Even with the cold here, my powers are stronger than ever!"

Keith summoned his swords as Lotor came into view, but remained hidden. As Lotor stood at the entrance, Maahox pointed out the tracks and Keith began his attack. Lotor summoned a haggarium sword and blocked Keith's hit.

"So, you brave the cold and an ancient curse to find a sick boy? My how the mighty have fallen." Laughed Lotor. He pushed Keith back into one of the ice walls.

"Daniel's not your puppet, Lotor! He's too strong for you to control. You know what happened to Wade!" said Keith. He pushed back with his sword.

"How dare you insult me by comparing ME to that pathetic fool! He knew not the full power of haggarium! Nor was he infused with it in even nano cell of his being!" Yelled Lotor. His anger began to melt the ice in the cave around them. In one blast he sent Keith thru one of the ice walls and with a second the floor underneath them began to crack. Keith tried to get to his feet, but the floor fell in under him and all went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Keith awoke with a headache in what looked like a rain forest. He could hear a nearby waterfall and smell rare flowers. As he started to get up he felt something cold on his injured shoulder and an ice pack fell to the ground. Still in a mental fog, Keith took a moment to get his bearings straight and scan the small camp site. Everything had been used recently, but whom? And how did he end up in a rain forest when he was in a frozen cavern moments ago? Just how long had he been out?

Keith looked up; to his surprise the ceiling was a strange sheet of icy blue crystal. Where was this place? A movement in the bushes caught his attention. He smiled as Daniel dressed in a pair of old jeans and a black t-shirt came into view.

"Daniel?" Said Keith. This place was so dream like it was hard to tell what was real and the bump on his head from the fall (at least he remembered falling thru the ice) didn't help.

"Keith? What are you doing here?" Daniel said. He seemed surprised, but smiled though it was clear he was worried about something.

"Trying to find you, but I got side tracked." Answered Keith. He looked around. "What are you doing here? And where is here?"

"We're still in the mountain, but I think we're at some kind of weird hot spring and it might've been the first Voltron Force Base or Vacation home." Said Daniel.

"Why do you say that?" asked Keith.

"Partly because while you were out Black flew in and . . . " started Daniel as he pointed to five stone buildings with the Arusian royal crest and a craved lion head above the entrances, each the color of a Voltron Lion.

"Okay, anything more . . . concrete?" said Keith as he neared the structures to get a better look and noticed the broken overgrown sidewalk around them. "How did that get here?"

_Concrete as you call it is actually an ancient invention used in construction for centuries. The idea came from Earth when Merlin travelled to assist in our creation with Red's first pilot in tow. _A mysterious voice whispered to them. Both turned to where they heard it, but only the Black Lion was to be seen.

"Did Black just talk?" asked Daniel.

"Either that or we've both lost it." Answered Keith. Neither of them took their eyes away from it.

_Both of you are still sane, though both of you must recover and return to the others soon. This mountain is a place of sanctuary used by our very first pilots to rest and recover from injuries and wounds in battle. The Arusian Queen, Ariella the First gave the waterfall and hot spring healing properties. That was before the Purple Plague struck the fifth planet as you call it._ Black Lion said as Keith and Daniel walked toward it to the water's edge.

"Purple Plague? Did it have anything to do with Haggarium?" asked Daniel. Was it possible the cure was on the fifth planet?

"Do you remember how to get to the fifth planet?" asked Keith. The missing pieces to the puzzle were there. If Black could only point them in the right direction, . . .

_I'm afraid to protect the rest of the Universe, that was wiped from our memories as the uninfected ones were scattered throughout the stars to forget what they were. At the time, the Elders thought it was best that the fifth planet be forgotten. _Explained Black.

"Why? Couldn't they be cured?" asked Daniel in a panic.

_There was more to it than that, but most was wiped from our memories. All I can remember is it was something that caused problems and distrust within our first pilots. A traitor, but who and why is beyond me. By the time they discovered the Traitor's identity if they ever did, we had already been sent to Arus never to see our original base or pilots again. Mine had already met his end by the traitor when we left. _Black said grimly.

"A traitor? Was it a member of the team?" asked Keith.

_I cannot say. Only my pilot died shortly after he began suspecting a traitor near his team. Whether he discovered the Traitor's identity and confronted them on his own, I cannot say. I do remember tears from his team mates, friends, mentors and children. He was a good man and both of you remind me of him. Brave, selfless, quick thinking, always there when someone needed him, and a love of speed no one could match. _Answered Black. Then without warning Black splashed both of the humans with the hot spring water. _You two might want to change before leaving the cave._

"Come on, Daniel." Said Keith. He started to lead Daniel to Black.

They quickly changed into dry uniforms, though Daniel looked a bit unsure of himself.

"You okay?" asked Keith.

"Just not sure if I should be in this thing right now." Answered Daniel. "As long as I'm infected, I'm putting everyone in danger. I mean I almost . . . you were nearly . . ."

"But you didn't and I wasn't because of your strength." Said Keith. He looked over Daniel's uniform a moment. "Still, not perfect."

"Why? What's wrong?" asked Daniel. Keith put Daniel's Voltcom on him to the boy's surprise.

"Better, but still not there." Said Keith. He took Black's key and transferred it to Daniel's Voltcom. The gray on Daniel's uniform turned black.

"Wait! Are you sure about this? With my infection, I'm . . ." Started Daniel.

"Still in better shape to pilot Black than me." Finished Keith. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You weren't the only one hiding an injury, though mine has been . . . getting worse. The doctor has a patch to reduce the effects on you and he says they're close to a cure. Between surgery and recovery, I'm out of the cockpit for six months and I can't fight at my best if then. We need you. Even if I wasn't hurt, we would need you."

"What do you mean?" Asked Daniel. "I've caused a lot of problems."

"You make things happen and bring us together." Keith answered. "If you hadn't caught Lance's attention we probably wouldn't have four of the keys or Vince which means Black would still be a mess and Haggarium robeasts would still be near impossible to beat, not to mention Lance and Allura could've both been killed if you and the other cadets hadn't helped them and that was day one on Arus. I know you've made mistakes, but who hasn't? If I had a dollar every time I've made one I might be able to buy a small planet. You've had your heart in the right place, even if misguided. Besides, you're family to all of us."

_Hurry! Maahox and Lotor are near!_ Said Black.

"Wait! That can't be. I mean, with my infection I feel Haggarium from like a hundred miles away and Lotor is practically made of Haggarium. I would've felt it. He would've tried to control me." Cried Daniel.

_But they are_. Said Black.

"We need to stop them." Keith Said. He started out of the cockpit and turned to Daniel. "Come on. I can't take them alone."

"But if Wade could control me to the point where I almost . . . I don't want to take the chance that Lotor could . . ." Started Daniel.

"I can't force you to go with or fight, but I wish you could find your courage again." Said Keith as he left. Daniel only watched.


End file.
